


The Aftermath is Secondary

by InkDomain



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Mind Control, Multi, Post-Apocalypse, danger days, killjoys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-12 01:10:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13536474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkDomain/pseuds/InkDomain
Summary: After escaping the control of Battery City, the Reader will do anything to protect Grace. They come across the Fabulous Killjoys after entering Zone 3 and the Reader is attacked by electricity from within, the Killjoys will do whatever they can to help their new companions, and to stomp out any trace of Better Living Industries.





	The Aftermath is Secondary

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my deviantART (OperationStabTheCake).  
> Not proof read.  
> Inspired by 'Not Gonna Die' by Skillet.

The grungy concrete walls of the tunnel that housed Better Living Industries propaganda was only illuminated by the cold wash of the overhead lamps. These tunnels were designed for cars, not legs, so running to safety was a slim chance. At the other end of the tunnel waited the desert zones, where BL/ind had no influence, where you could taste the untainted air without any consequences. The aching burn in your lungs only burned brighter with the fuel of running, your heart racing as the series of footsteps behind you followed quickly. The continuous thud of your heavy backpack hitting against your back and creating bruises pushed you forward, the stolen contents clashing together and causing a racket. 

Beside you, a father and daughter ran with the same desperation lighting their eyes as they focused on the end of the tunnel in front of the small group. Behind you, a few other rebellious individuals were running with all they had, willing to throw away everything for the slightest glimpse of freedom. You had been barely able to horde the food you call carried on your backs, attempting to steal a car would have been too foolish. In the background, you could faintly hear the sound of engines revving to life, followed by the screeching of tyres on tarmac. The road in front of you light up with the headlights of the enemy, the noises of your group echoed off the walls and joined the sounds of the security coming after you. 

The end of the tunnel was so close, your group had only alerted the system when they reached the toll booth located in the middle of the tunnel. The S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W and Drac that guarded the booth were shot down without mercy from your illegal ray gun, a bolt of light shooting from the muzzle of the gun and their lifeless bodies hit the floor. Your vision was hazy with tears of determination, sweat coated your body in a light sheen as you pushed yourself closer to the mouth of the tunnel. The familiar sounds of the ray gun’s shots finding their targets is pushed to the back of your head, along with the sickening sound of your comrade’s bodies pummelling to the ground. The only thing that waited for you back in Battery City was execution, there would be no mercy for your mutiny, and even the little girl next to you would not be saved. 

Reaching the natural world outside of the boarders of Battery City, your breath is taken away by the view. The world had been destroyed in ways that no one had really understood, unsure if BL/ind were lying or telling the truth about the fate of the world. The six zones that surrounded what used to be named Los Angeles were in total devastation, the desert had claimed most of each zone. Looking out to the endless expanse of wasteland, you felt a freedom you had never experienced whilst living inside the pristine boarders of Battery City. The angry rumble of the enemy’s cars sounded behind you, growing louder the closer they got to the runaways at the end of the tunnel. Snapping out of your awe, you turn to gather your group, your throat tightening when you only see the little girl from before was the sole survivor. 

Unable to console her and allow the grief to take hold of either of you, you grab the young girl’s hand and pull her into the unforgiving desert. Whilst being deathly hot during the day, the chill of the night could be just as unforgiving. The sole of your boots dug prints behind you as the two of you scramble into the heart of Zone 1. Moving under the cover of night proved to be a smart plan, the only light outside of the city were the countless stars strung in the sky above, or the crackle from a built fire. Using the dunes to aid as cover, you and the girl hid from the monochromic vehicles that housed Draculoid squads or S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W units. Unsure of either of your locations, the cars branched off and combed the zones and surrounding areas to see if they could recapture the escaped duo. 

When Grace, the little girl who was the only one other than you to make it out of Battery City alive, could no longer walk, you decided to camp for the night. It had felt like days since you had left the city behind, but it was still the same night that kept the desert dark around you. Attempting to find any landmarks around to see where you were, Grace gives up completely and falls to the sandy ground with a defeated huff. You glance down at her before agreeing with her, your own body screaming for a break. Your legs buckled at the knees, your butt hitting the ground faster than you could blink, and you only got a moment of relief as you took the pressure off your feet. It was deadly silent between the two of you, unsure of where to even start, as you removed the damaged backpack from your shoulders and rotated them to get some life back into the overused muscle. 

Grace laid on her back, her tiny chest heaving for air that didn’t burn her lungs as she allowed herself to calm down from the intense moments beforehand. You knew that when both of your body temperatures had cooled and regained to their normal state, the desert night’s air could potentially be dangerous to your health. However, you were still wary about starting a fire, maybe you could build one when you’re in further zones and sure that BL/ind units were no longer after either of you. 

Under the watchful gaze of the stars in the blanketed sky, you rummaged in the bag through the stolen goods you had managed to take. It wasn’t enough to keep you going for a week, and Grace was too small to carry her own bag, so all the either of you had was whatever your bag held. You remove one bottle of water from the bag, if neither of you ate, you at least needed water to ensure you would make it until tomorrow. You had to ensure rationing of supplies from the get-go, unclear of when the next time you would come across edible supplies would come around.  
“Come here.” You tell the girl, grimacing as the back of your shirt sticks to the sweat on your skin when you lean forward. She tilts her head to the side in an attempt to look at you, her curly brown hair picking up all of the dirt underneath her. “You need some water.” You explain, holding out the uncapped bottle for her to take. Grace nods as she sits up, taking the bottle and tilts back her head. She savours what she can, understanding that supplies are precious now that you were out of Battery City.  
“You should have some too.” She says, handing over the bottle when she was finished. Wiping away the droplets around her mouth that she had missed when swallowing with the back of her hand, she takes the moment too look around at her surroundings.  
“This place really sucks.” She comments, and you can’t help the soft chuckle that escapes your hoarse throat. You cock back your head and allow the still slightly cold water to flood your drying mouth, a small trickle escaping in the corner of your mouth and creating a small stream down your chin. 

Screwing the cap back on the water bottle, you place it into the bag and seal it in case you need to just grab it in a quick getaway. You look around the horizon of Zone 1 along with Grace, there may not be a lot to look at, but it was breath-taking in your eyes. She was mostly raised in this new world, this would be all she really knew, she wouldn’t understand what those enslaved in Battery City were living in.  
“Yeah, it really does.” You agree with her, earning a wide grin in response. Moving so you’re sitting next to her, you laid down and she mimics your movements. The collection of sand dunes you had ran to for cover for the rest of the night served as a bed, it wasn’t the best bed you’ve ever laid in, but it was somewhere you could sleep. Leaning against the slight incline, you make a noise of discomfort as the unstable ground shifts with any amount of weight put against it. 

Under the watchful eye of the solar system, you lay on your back and reflected on everything that had transpired. Grace had fallen asleep a while ago, the cold of the desert night pushed her closer to you, seeking your body warmth. In a protective manner, you wrap your arms around her, and turn to sleep on your side with her forehead pressed against your chest bone. Her breathing was regular, every beat of her heart kept you going. You had a plan for tomorrow, you had to find out where you were, what zone you were in, and figure out how to get to shelter. The clock was ticking against you, the two of you only had three days exposed to the unforgiving elements before you would perish. Succumbing to sleep had only been possible by the exhaustion your body protested against, dragging you into an abyssal slumber until the sun of the next morning was too bright to let you sleep any longer. 

\----

Sleeping against the sand dunes of Zone 1 had not been kind, plagued with dreams that barely reflected memories about the head hitman of BL/ind. The dreams you were presented with in your sleep were perverse versions of what had truly happened; corrupted scenes of being rescued out in the zones and brought back to Battery City by Korse himself. Flashes of the lilac pills you were force-fed in the name of sedation led to black-outs and gaps in your memory, bits and pieces are shown to you. Memories of a cold warehouse, the pain of surgery, and then the recovery. Battery City’s censorship and control choices had a 95% chance of working on the average individual they were administrated to, you had fallen into the 5% of abnormal individuals. 

Unable to keep down your spirit with the pills and technology, your consistent offences such as paint explosions, graffiti on important government buildings, and even vehicle assault via tyre slashing had gotten you in trouble with Korse and his units, but it also caught the eyes of the other 5% hiding in the city. Your family had perished during the disaster, all you had were the underground few that dreamed of freedom outside of the sterile city. Grace’s mother was absent, rumoured to be fuelling the resistance in the further zones, whilst her father worked hard to do everything in his power to get his daughter out of Batter City. 

Abruptly waking from your nightmares, your heart hammered with a harshness you had only experienced when running in the tunnels. Grace comes to your mind, and you turn your head to check on the young girl. She was still sleeping, dead to the world, shielded in your arms and undisturbed by your harsh awakening. Willing yourself to calm down from the depraved dreams your mind had given you, you thread your fingers through the untameable mop of hair on her head to reassure yourself that she was still there and not just a mirage concocted by your cruel mind. You let her sleep for a little while longer, waiting with just the voices in your head as company. 

When the sun had settled itself higher in the dazzling blue sky, it was close to midday, and you would have to get moving soon. Gently but firmly waking her, you pull Grace from her sleep and let her wake up before pushing her onwards. Leaving behind the dunes that had protected you during the night, you rummage in your backpack for the map and binoculars you had stored before leaving the city. For breakfast, you opened a can of sliced peaches, and handed it to Grace for her to eat first. It served as a food and a beverage, you steal a slice every now and then before she devours them all.  
“We should find somewhere to sleep for tonight, an actual shelter.” You tell Grace, wiping the lens of the binoculars and peering down the sight. Scanning the horizon for any landmark that indicated where you were on the map, you perk up when you spot a road sign that had been beaten by the elements. “C’mon, that might help us.” You smile at the young girl next to you, peach juice smeared around her mouth as she chews on the sweet fruit. There were eight tunnels that left the heart of Battery City, your group had chosen the eastern tunnel since that was the one that was least heavily guarded. Making your way along what used to be the highway, the trek towards the sign you had spotted seemed to take hours on foot. However, you finally did manage to reach the decaying sign, noting that it had 710 on it. Returning to your map, you find the road that was marked with that sign; and feel slight relief to see that you were both currently in Zone 2. 

There was a whole zone between the two of you and Battery City, but there were still three full zones before you even breached Zone 6. You had heard rumours of a sanctuary there, one of the most well-known rebellious groups against Battery City lived in a diner out in Zone 6. It was a long shot, you knew that, but it would be safer than turning back and begging for mercy. You show the map to Grace, who had by now emptied the can of peaches, and had tossed the empty tin behind her and acted as though she had never seen it in her life. You pointed to where you were, seeing her eyes light up when she realised how far she had come away from the controlling nature of the city she had spent a majority of her life in.  
“Our destination is Zone 6, way out in the Badlands, but we should be able to find some shelter along the way- now that we know exactly where we are.” You announce, so overwhelmed with emotion that you could hug the sign post.  
“Let’s get moving, then!” Grace announces with a grin, already leading the way as you make sure it is the correct way to head on the map. The best way to get to Zone 6 was to follow this main road, which was also used by roamers who refused to conform to Battery City’s way of life. They called themselves Killjoys, always dressed in bright colours and ready to fight whenever there was a spark of aggression. 

Hours passed, and you still continued to walk, every ten steps looked the same as the last; nothing really changed around you. It was now midday- the hottest time of the day out in the zones, the sun high in the sky overhead, the heat beating down on the two of you. This was the most you had ever sweated in your entire life, and all you were doing was walking. The boarder of Zone 2 had to be nearby, it just had to be. You take the bottle of water you had opened the previous night and take a swig, wincing at the warm taste of it, then handing it to Grace. Dehydration was just another worry on your shoulders, along with fatigue. You needed to find the both of you shelter soon, but you wanted to at least make it to Zone 3- then you would be halfway there to the diner. 

When you had started spotting landmarks that indicated Zone 3 was close by, your heart picked up with excitement. Not much longer, you could do it, you could keep going- but you weren’t too sure about Grace. Then you heard the rumble of an engine, the vehicle only starting to come into view when your stomach had already dropped to your feet and you were ready to defend Grace with your life. However, when the car got closer to you and Grace over the desolate horizon that was slightly blurry with the heat rising from the sand, you noticed that it wasn’t one of Korses’ unit’s cars. It was white, not black and shiny with care, and there was no indication of the BL/ind’s logo on it. Seeing those inside as allies rather than enemies, you wave your arms over your head and start to jump up and down, hoping to flag their attention. 

Understanding what you were attempting to do, Grace joins in, and beings yelling- as though her small voice would be able to carry over the distance and reach those inside the car.  
“Grace-” You call her name, ready to tell her to save her voice, when she suddenly stops and darts in front of you. Running past the invisible boarders of the zone, she runs with a desperation of a madman needing help. You run after her, those people in the car could still be just as dangerous as Korse and his men- but trying to convey that to the small girl would be fruitless. “Wait!” You call after her, running to catch her as the car comes closer over the horizon. A sudden surge of electricity shoots through your body, emitting from your shoulder, and causing your knees to buckle with the sudden spasm. Your throat clenches, your words coming out garbled and unintelligible, as you lose control of your limbs. Collapsing under your own weight, your muscles twitches with convulsions due to the waves of electric shocks passing through you.  
“[F/N]!” Grace calls your name over the pain, ignoring the car that was coming closer to the both of you in favour of coming to your aid. Skidding to her knees next to her, she kicks up dust as she watches your body write in the sand. The rays from the sun had caused the sand to overheat, burning any exposed skin but there was nothing you could do. Trying to escape the electric shocks flowing through you but unable to claw out the source of the pain, your mind is filled with agony of this torture. Beside you, Grace was at a loss of words. She wanted to help, but she didn’t know how to. Reaching out her hand to help, the moment her fingers come into contact with the exposed skin of your shoulder, the residual effects of the electric passes to her and she is sent backwards. Letting out a scream that is a mixture of pain and shock, she holds her injured hand and stares at you in shock, only to flinch again when the car pulls up. 

Shaking slightly, Grace watches as four men exit the vehicle and hurry towards the scene. They were unlike any men she had seen in the city, they were full of life, and wore their hearts on their shoulders. The man that had been behind the wheel of the car, who also sported radiant red hair that was a tangled mess, barked orders too fast for her to keep up. The shorter man of the group, hair long and black against his pale skin, grabs the backpack that had fallen from your shoulders when you had been attacked by the electric convulsions, and packs away everything that had fallen. The two remaining men, both wearing sunglasses to hide their eyes, pulled on gloves before positioning themselves over your body. Scared that they would do something to you, Grace starts screaming at them- startling them to her existence.  
“Just leave us alone!” Grace cries, terrified of the situation. Sitting in the sand, tears leaving clean streaked down her dirty cheeks, the four men glance at each other before the unnatural red-head approaches cautiously. With his gloved hands raised to show he was no threat, he kneels until he is at the little girl’s height.  
“Hey, it’s okay, we’re going to help, promise.” His voice is soothing, working to calm the little girl as her sobs begin to die down as he calms her. Behind him, the man who had gathered your supplies had thrown them into the back of the car, rummaged for something in the glovebox, then tossed his retrieved item at the two by your body. “What’s your name?” He asks, attempting to block her view of your spasming body so she wouldn’t have to witness the injection you were about to receive.  
“Grace…” She replies, clearly unsure, and she attempts to look over his shoulder to see if you were truly okay. “What’s happening?” She whimpers, attempting to return to your side, but scared of being shocked once more. The red-head looked over his shoulder at his team behind him, two out of the three men worked to hold your body still as the blonde readies the injection.  
“It’s going to be okay, the bad guys back in Battery City is doing it.” He tries to explain, but becomes slightly panicked when Grace sees the sterilised needle be revealed into the light of the sun. He holds her back, his strong hands on Grace’s shoulder as she screams for them not to hurt you. “It’s okay! It’s just something to stop the pain!” He attempts to get through to the girl, but she struggles in his hold as the blonde man kneeling beside your restrained body wipes part of your arm with rubbing alcohol to clean the area before injecting you. 

Grace trembles with fear as she is powerless to stop the four strangers from harming you, tears blurring her face as her only friend in the world is injected with a mysterious substance. Sniffling to herself and still being held back to the man in the blue jacket, she watches as your body slows in movement, until there is nothing other than an occasional twitch. The man lets go of Grace, and she rushes to your side, pushing away the other three that had surrounded you. It still wasn’t safe for her to touch your bare skin, so she sobs as she kneels next to you. The blonde who had injected you remained stoic, all betrayal his eyes could give are hidden behind his sunglasses. He puts away the equipment he was instructed to use, tossing the black case they were housed in to the shorter male who placed it back in the glove box of the car.  
“Grace, it’s going to be okay, we’re not going to hurt either of you.” The man who had held her away from you says, kneeling next to her as the remaining two men stay nearby on stand-by. “We’re going to take you both to Zone 6, there’s a man there that can help your friend.” He says, placing his hand on her back and begins to rub comforting circles. Grace sniffles, and bravely wipes her cheeks, nodding to him. There was nothing else she could do, and she had no weapons to defend either of you against the four men. 

The space in the car was limited, so the six of you had to squeeze in tight in order to make it to Zone 6 in one trip. The inside of the car was cool, shielded from the sun, and slight air conditioning from the working engine. They propped up your body in the middle of the backseat, sandwiched between the two with dark sunglasses, the red-head and shorter men were in the front of the car. In an attempt to protect your incapacitated body, Grace sat on your lap and would almost growl if any of the other men would try to touch you- even if it was to just check your vitals to ensure you were still alive. The red-head was driving once again, turning the car around and heading back to the little radio shack where they would get help for your electrical problem. After several minutes of painful silence, and Grace actually almost biting the blonde when he presses his gloved fingers to your neck to check your pulse, he clears his throat.  
“So, kid-” He starts, only to be immediately interrupted by Grace.  
“Grace.” She corrects, resting her head against your chest to listen to your steady heartbeat. The only time you to registered that you were still alive was the minor twitch of a limb, the sedative that you had been injected with was working wonders on your previous convulsion and writhing.  
“Right, Grace…We haven’t exactly introduced ourselves yet.” He states, letting his eyes flick to the review mirror to check on overpopulated backseat of his car. His eyes return to the road ahead, just because it was the Badlands doesn’t mean that you couldn’t crash a car. “I’m Party Poison.” He starts off the introductions, cocking his head towards the man sat next to him in the passenger seat, indicating for him to continue.  
“Fun Ghoul.” He turns in his seat to greet Grace with a charming smile, extending his hand for her to shake. She cautiously takes it, making him smile wider that he was somewhat accepted by the wary girl. He re-tracks his hand, settling back in his seat to face forward.  
“Jet Star.” The man to your left says in a gentle tone, considerate not to scare the poor girl who was clinging to who they assumed was her guardian. He gives her a soft smile, making her nod slightly as she expectantly looks at the blonde.  
“Kobra Kid.” He says, somewhat rough around the edges as he doesn’t even bother looking at the small child. She pouts slightly at his rude introduction, puffing out her cheeks as she settles against you.  
“Those are weird names.” Grace notes to herself, loud enough for the four men to hear, and they can’t help the soft laughter that comes from them. It had been years since they had anyone else other than their little band of misfits, it was refreshing to have new faces- even if one was passed out and slightly drooling on the upholstery.  
“They’re just aliases, to keep us safe from the bad guys.” Party explains, noting the sign on the side of the road that indicates they’re close to arriving in Zone 6. The dust trails behind them, kicked up by the tyres of the car, would normally be enough to worry about- Dracs or S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W/S could see them, but their primary concern was the adult in the back of the car they needed to get into surgery before the drugs wore off.  
“I’ll be Missile Kid then!” Grace says, chest swelling with pride as she names herself. She felt like a vigilante now, she had a Killjoy name, now all she needed was an outfit like the rest of the people in the car. Something with a splash of colour, not boring and mute like the ones she wore back in Battery City.  
“That’s a weird name.” Ghoul muses from the front of the car, grinning like a child himself as he teases the girl. Grace frowns, then realises that he’s teasing her, and her face breaks into a wide smile.  
“It’s just an alien.” She alters her voice to mimic one similar to Party’s, earning a boisterous laugh from Ghoul and Jet, a wide grin from the man himself, and even the hint of a smile from Kobra.  
“You mean alias.” Party corrects, already feeling like ten years had been lifted from his shoulders. The hearty laughter from the car could be rare at times, especially living in these types of conditions, but it was easy to ignore the desert surrounding them as they raced towards Zone 6 with their new companions.  
“Same thing.” Grace giggles, sticking out her tongue before resting against your form. She smiled to herself, happy that these four had been the ones to come to your aid in Zone 3. She didn’t want to think about what could have happened if they hadn’t appeared, and she instead thinks of coming up for a Killjoy alias for you to use when you wake up.


End file.
